Comments on: Poltergeist

By: The Mangler - Movie Reviews Blog

The Mangler - Movie Reviews Blog — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:00:27 +0000

[...] Three legends of the horror industry come together: Tobe Hooper (the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist), Robert Englund (a Nightmare on Elm Street) and Stephen King (Creepshow, It). So, does this combination result in success? No. No it does not. [...]

By: Watership Down (1978) - Movie Reviews Blog

Watership Down (1978) - Movie Reviews Blog — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:18:53 +0000

[...] Watership Down is rated PG, much in the way that Jaws and Poltergeist are rated PG…debatably. It’s very violent and sometimes very scary, though the story and animation is strong and timeless. I’d recommend this to an older children’s audience. It’s certainly not for 5 year-olds, anyhow. There was a newer adaptation produced in 1999 which tones down the violence and mature themes, but at the same time, robs the film of its heart and depth. I’d avoid it if I were you. The original Watership Down, however, gets a solid A. November 1, 2006 Posted by DrSpengler as Reviews, Suspense, Kids/Family, Drama, Animation at 12:18 pm [...]

By: The Amityville Horror (1979) - Movie Reviews Blog

The Amityville Horror (1979) - Movie Reviews Blog — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:24:44 +0000

[...] Just about every classic haunted house picture has a certain gimmick that helps it achieve its “classic” status. The House on Haunted Hill had Vincent Price, the Haunting had the use of sound, Poltergeist introduced heavy duty special effects, the Shining took a surrealist approach and the Amityville Horror is notable for firstly, being based on a true story, and secondly, for being filmed on-location at the haunted house itself. Granted, there remains much debate over whether the Amityville haunting was real or a hoax, most certainly, most of the contents of Jay Anson’s novel (from which this film was truly based) is nothing but fiction. Still, it’s a note-worthy gimmick which adds to the film’s realism and the sense of dread while the ghostly phenomenon runs its course. [...]

By: - Movie Reviews Blog

- Movie Reviews Blog — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 18:31:49 +0000

[...] An often forgotten haunted house picture, though in all honesty, not particularly memorable. It’s a much more “classic” haunted house film, before the likes of Poltergeist came along and introduced boatloads of special effects and adrenaline-pumped action into the genre. The problem with the Changeling is not the script, the direction or the acting, but just that it isn’t very scary. [...]

By: The Amityville Horror: Review - Movie Reviews Blog

The Amityville Horror: Review - Movie Reviews Blog — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 16:59:57 +0000

[...] The final act of the film is the textbook example of what NOT to do in any film: do not rip off other movies of the genre. The last act makes a radical departure from the book by trying to fix the mystery of the house in its own way: hey, guess what, it’s actually built over a secret room in which some dude liked to kill people! So we’re treated to 40 minutes of the greatest rip offs of all time, including The Shining, Poltergeist, and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Originality is thrown out the door in favor of a lame excuse for a plot resolution. The film would have been sufficienty creepy if we were to just assume that it was a house with bad stuff inside and that no one should live there, but no. [...]

By: The Shining (1980) - Movie Reviews Blog

The Shining (1980) - Movie Reviews Blog — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 16:59:06 +0000

[...] “The Shining” narrowly trumps “Poltergeist” as my all time favorite Haunted House picture. It’s a fanastic movie on all levels and should be scene by everyone at least once in their lifetime. It gets a definite A. October 12, 2006 Posted by DrSpengler as Reviews, Suspense, Horror at 12:10 pm [...]